Chapter 147: Kohella (2)
0IK9G0Kohella Deinalt Elvester.CiVJCI6
PEEaVU“The old fox of Gremport Palace sent a letter saying that she would visit the Ravenclaw territory approximately four days later.Lr5L
yV8It wasn’t just anyone, but the chief imperial magic adviser and the most famous figure in the magical world, who said she would come all the way to this remote region.nIhduM8
4ZtaBEven the servants of the Baron Ravenclaw’s mansion, who had already become quite competent at attending important guests, couldn’t help but tense up again.PXHv07d
O4sYqdNEvery time they began to grow used to something, a new trial arrived, so the maids and servants of the mansion were already half-dead inside.jazuJh
SQOFDM“If Lady Kohella is going to come personally, we must receive her while respecting imperial etiquette. There will be a lot to prepare…”NYI9ubR
yrzWhile the butler and the head maid frowned, Dereck continued cleaning the blade of his sword and commented as if nothing were wrong.8xfW
Yzp3lmV“I don’t think we have that much time.”Bf0vq3
SNPvlaKDelbriton and the head maid, Lana, looked at him drenched in sweat.29LK
Nt7bi“H-how much time do we have then? With the experience of having attended important nobles before, if we had three or four days, we could prepare everything by moving fast.”VsUARkR
aVQ2b“She says she’s arriving tomorrow.”iyL9T
81jzDereck glanced sideways at the open letter.nlCxkZ
CkpWith those words, the expressions of the two servants responsible for the mansion grew even paler.264L
9KJAX***vg0unQA
9dne4JyKohella was someone surprisingly light on her feet for her position.iZ85G49
1bp4AIf she needed to investigate something, she appeared anywhere. Although, by protocol, she should travel with at least a dozen subordinates, she often disappeared by herself.65GU6
yCadThe escort was a mere requirement of etiquette, nothing more.yDbECO
MiHXTeA 6-star mage didn’t need guards to protect her life.dhd2R
8aN74yoSo it wasn’t strange that she simply appeared somewhere out of nowhere.zEX0ne
7QtAt sunset the next day, the imperial adviser Kohella appeared alone in front of the main gate of the Ravenclaw mansion.ZhWzhOD
BEV2QThe maids had already prepared a space to store her carriage and another area for the servants who were supposedly to accompany her.pU4eyI
RZwBut upon seeing Kohella, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.gjm81
LAZDeShe didn’t come in a carriage.Nv3mWS
cKZd4She didn’t bring servants.FYIQMW8
RLIw6lShe just walked while dragging an enormous magic staff larger than her own body.QoQuV6Q
qs3l7GShe wore a light violet robe with a few ornaments, a cotton blouse, a linen skirt, and a huge amber necklace.w648hA
mLRHyZShe walked up to the mansion as if she had just gone out for a stroll.8OM
4zvkGremport Palace, where her laboratory was located, was at a considerable distance even traveling by carriage, yet she didn’t look like she had made such a long trip.wJzI2
y2CNwN“Hmm, nice mansion.”kZa
j4RisxHer voice was rough and crackly like a dry branch.n8bwFu
EbyGVao“Thank you for the long trip.”MBlVvQ1
u1ZmT“Trip? Nonsense. Just an old mage out for a walk.”nRlO
56VyeDereck looked at her in silence.7UxuL9
ur8The way age had left its mark on her exterior emanated a special kind of authority.Dvmk
ij9GVIf Drest had a poor and frail appearance, Kohella looked like an elegant old woman who had aged with luxury and power.ko5o7
9trThat was natural—she had lived her entire life as the empire’s chief adviser and matriarch of the Elvester family.vxl8
s5VKohella sat at the reception table and pressed her back firmly against the chair’s backrest.NS1ty
M65V“The old body always complains when you overwork it. My back has been hurting a lot lately.”v9MauX
g4t“You must take good care of yourself. You are the oldest of the Elvester family.”9HD
S1TRxTM“Yes, yes. I heard you are the disciple of Katia, the one teaching my adorable granddaughter lately.”z18Rn
4TOnYoung Lady Freya of the Elvester family was being taught by Katia Flameheart, Dereck’s teacher.ij3ivFY
GhuVKAlthough Dereck had now surpassed Katia’s level, he still showed respect toward the one who had once been his teacher.2R5lD
6ONpF8“Magic of 4 stars at your age—you’re advancing almost at the same pace as Lord Melverot of the north. I thought I should see your face at least once.”CFgq4
h9GmrfKohella let out a cackling laugh and continued.YQifg3L
0XYb“Well, now you are Baron Ravenclaw. I must treat you accordingly. I spoke too casually. When one grows old, one becomes accustomed to looking down on the young. Consider this the clumsiness of an old woman.”jS8M
TFwaVQ“No problem.”soBsj
AJZCSAlthough Dereck was a young baron from a remote region, he was still part of the nobility, so Kohella switched to a more respectful tone, though Dereck found it uncomfortable.jBSBGW
aOKHe didn’t know why, but that old mage was difficult to handle.oViCj4
1MuShe said she spoke casually out of habit, but still insisted on treating him as a noble.t4zAZ
g0TKqIt was hard to know if there was intent behind that change.MDpn9Z
xIM7bIz“I brought the merit medal that His Majesty Guttrel personally bestows upon you. Reaching the rank of 4-star mage is an achievement His Majesty values greatly. It is a great honor. If you ever go near the capital, you must present yourself and thank him.”2CCk
tL0ZSB4“Thank you.”W23
J7W1Dereck received several letters from her and placed them on the table.h7kJtYD
1OCThey were surely ceremonial documents of appointments and recognitions, so he didn’t need to read them to imagine their content.PCh2R
Ijgk“I didn’t think the chief adviser would come in person. You must have many matters to handle.”6zShj
l0uXJ“Of course. But lately, Lord Baron Ravenclaw has been doing many things, hasn’t he? There was so much chatter that even the capital heard the rumors.”hN7Il
KWCL2“I was just thinking of requesting approval from the imperial mages regarding the construction of the Academy in Duplain.”9SZFYHe
zple“And that should be done before starting the construction, don’t you think?”9HEiCja
nN5rpKohella smiled.Tqc
WPIShe didn’t seem angry.sTUffWw
YCLfvShe was simply observing Dereck.XJWpN
hFS“Yes. As you know, I am still ignorant of noble procedures, so I made a mistake in the order of the steps. I apologize.”PLIU
P21Iwh“No need to apologize. For the empire, it is a good thing. Why would we reject an educational institution with a noble purpose? Although we must also confirm that the purpose is indeed noble.”HRF
009NPShe smiled calmly, but her words had an edge.DT4vBOb
08T“I am the one who confirms such things. That is why I came all the way to this remote Ravenclaw territory.”GKNehl
fQBH4ycDereck decided to answer directly.I50Xq
Lip2JShe had surely already deduced most of it.O58
S5gCRT“It’s not a very noble purpose. Teaching magic is interesting and useful, but of course I also have other motives.”m3iSA
kGZHuvt“I see. And will you give me a hint?”QutWhn
3gwaUbL“It’s money, of course.”3mp5ETo
m6d3pHKohella lifted an eyebrow, amused.R4jdB
2lql1wThey say selling even a piece of string to a noble turns you into a millionaire.r0DVI
p1q6dQBAn academy filled exclusively with nobles—merchants would die of envy.ZD5Giyr
xd7“You say first, so there must be another motive.”GTrBzJW
kYHysB“It’s to restore the Duplain family.”fcN
79HH“Hooh.”ohUlxFw
ZTCIf he installed a facility of that level in their territory, Duplain could revive.RTEhm
uyFDThey were the faction closest to Dereck, practically an extension of the Ravenclaw barony thanks to Aiselin.Zok
mvUCJKohella smiled maliciously.iTp
SAB“The baron Ravenclaw seems to have much affection for the Duplains. To do so much for a family that began to falter…”Y6zhE
h7fEzwThere were also other reasons—bringing stability to his barony, creating a self-sufficient academy—but he didn’t mention them.m9Z
LXcTAvKohella surely wanted to hear only this part.eqtqgu6
9Yk5“From the perspective of this old woman, your actions seem like moves to unite allied forces and become a power in the southwest of the continent.”sqNsFY
HkViJ“…”kHCyfa
xIvKohella’s eyes narrowed.leBNo
5pyrUThe intuition of someone who had lived her life as a high-ranking noble.Mup4z3B
h8NLXDereck thought about how to respond, but Kohella let out a light laugh.o19vwF
OydlBI“You don’t need to tense up so much. Not all nobles are like the Grand Duke Beltus.”H7P7E
TB8“…”akVO3z
QqNYIuS“If someone talented in magic, who will become a great asset to the empire, begins to expand his influence, we—the empire—consider it a very positive thing. You have no reason to fear being suppressed.”eej
wpL3vyKohella was addicted to magical knowledge.Nu0kU
DqKZx8Although she sometimes went beyond all limits, she always showed goodwill toward talented mages.yF0
wbgWith Dereck’s rate of growth, it was obvious he would reach 5 stars and even higher.8mWEE
xg54FsThat’s why she had no intention of turning him into an enemy.GeavnQq
7lEmpStill, Dereck didn’t lower his guard.63M50M
MiTsmQ“Among 6-star mages there is no one normal.”Sbl5F
xeOHe had heard that thousands of times.LjM4
ES6BdXThat old woman, though elegant and calm, surely had madness hidden somewhere in her soul.aY7Xv
wwGgMelverot watched her more than anyone else.BVO4
eBQ4Hidden madness is always the most dangerous.GTgGFhp
NKkSN8“If Baron Ravenclaw wishes to become a higher-ranking noble, this old woman can give you some advice.”yx1Wvv
VJeMY8gMelverot was not interested in politics.xu3tFAz
o2yZReWNeither was Drest.yCEnkR
uHllSqFina even less.7xX5eb
014T80sAmong the 6-star mages, Kohella was the one most knowledgeable about worldly power.jDN
3rZGaMHer advice would be valuable.g8khk
1gAk9P“The baron Ravenclaw seems to not know how to use the authority he already possesses. It is good to reinforce an allied faction with the academy but, in addition to that, there is a parallel method he could employ, don’t you think?”BFk0wla
jng“…I’m not very sure what exactly you mean.”M916bH
UhKQu“The baron is causing quite the commotion within the noble circle of Ebelstein, you know? I heard there are young nobles lining up to become his direct disciple. In that case, you should make use of it.”Kts
L5mhKohella pressed her aching back several times, leaned against the chair, and spoke with her arms crossed.JdkDNI
4aY07“If I were the baron Ravenclaw, I would accept at least one more direct disciple. Then, those who want to occupy that position would start appearing one after another, competing among themselves.”gqZ
thWx“…Accepting more direct disciples is not something I haven’t thought about…”S1VO
yvTs“And even better if you announce that you will choose from among the students of the academy.”XjiY
U3GnUIndeed, Kohella’s words made sense. Thanks to the fact that Dereck’s direct disciples already had considerable reputation, more and more people wanted to take that place.UXnQiR0
iijsryCIf word spread that a student with good academic performance could become Dereck’s fifth direct disciple, it would undoubtedly help increase the number of applicants.yN06jiq
vTBi“It’s good advice. I think I can apply it.”tRs6g
0ZVq2“There’s more. The baron Ravenclaw said he wants to push the Duplain family forward even more, didn’t he? Then, isn’t there a more efficient and easy method? You have excellent disciples, and I don’t understand why you’re not using them.”MoJyx
XhwYuHThe old fox of the empire, Kohella, had a political instinct sharp as a blade.SBQrfr4
GTRzSShe even smiled with an irritating calm.CUQoi
H5f“Disciples may look the same, but there is always an order. My own disciples also have different levels of ability, but the hierarchy is very clearly defined.”3PQm
4NG1Kohella had far more disciples than Dereck. And having many disciples meant possessing an enormous level of influence.ZSwU
DUYI3doHowever, properly controlling a large number was difficult, which was why the founders of magic academies usually established rules and hierarchies among them.8PNUe
m40t8“If you plan to accept more disciples, it is also the master’s duty to establish order and hierarchy among them. If you don’t, the relationships become chaotic. And these ranks are usually based on the same criterion.”WsD
DmEaX“…”p2BV2k
2iNfWhile Dereck pondered, Kohella directly gave him the answer.xQm
QG2“Who started receiving instruction first? That is usually the clearest point for establishing hierarchy. Don’t you think so?”Dondh3B
7htHo0nDefinitely someone who had spent their whole life among high nobles thought differently.Nhyy
F3x7For Kohella, the network of relationships between master and disciples around Dereck was an enormous political web.X8Dz
onpFEtPRegardless of secular titles, Dereck could create a new axis of power within his group of disciples. And in that sphere, he could have total control.sfF
m3TdO2xIf the master treats the one who was the first to learn at his side as the highest disciple, the others will naturally follow her.cFC2
9WsOf course, secular titles cannot be ignored.DvH
utUlmNvBut anyone who wants to learn from Dereck would not be able to ignore the hierarchy that he established.Q92JXm
to1WThe result?wqeqU
47CZNTOne only had to think about who was the first disciple to receive instruction from Dereck.dq112cA
TolfWhen Dereck finished organizing his thoughts and silently looked at Kohella, she smiled from ear to ear.X4Xfqk
xHn6He wanted to ask why she was giving him that kind of advice, but she did not answer.A8Njk7
nMi“In fact, the nobility is surely already reacting. That place is full of people extremely sensitive to these things. I heard that today is the gathering of the Rose Hall, so the atmosphere must be very different.”XZQn
1Fk6HHidden under the shadows of her cloak, Kohella smiled as if she could already clearly see how the power structure in Ebelstein would change.ussTn
kygrvThere was still much left to discuss, but something was clear—
that old woman’s head was full of snakes.eLAWUEF
N3M1***SlIZvs
OZR– Murmur, murmur.o5n4A
zKufThe Rose Hall gathering.2cX
6NJEA routine event, but due to the recent changes in the situation around Ebelstein, the atmosphere was unusually tense.GBmvrhn
3xnkThere were rumors about many families, but the main topic was the information about the new rising force Ravenclaw, and its disciples.TqxC
0qvThe four direct disciples of Baron Ravenclaw, the most renowned instructor of Ebelstein.2wYSq
BTaJust by receiving his teaching, magical level increased by several steps. That was why, among all the young nobles who frequented the Rose Hall, the four with the highest magical knowledge were precisely Dereck’s disciples.9fnao
ROpA8OlDiella, Ellen, Denise, Siern.AEu
K1GmBAnd the possible fifth disciple, about whom rumors circulated among the nobility, although only at the level of whispers.TfX
X1PjVKClick.lBjnXG
QaAiC6KAmid the tense atmosphere, the door of the beverage hall opened, and a young lady entered.EOZV
UtdYvS– I-it’s Lady Diella.Aq4i
QPXf3g0– S-should we talk to her? She’s too scary…7BT
E3PAld– Even so… if we don’t do it now, we’ll never have another chance…olSkjKZ
0vBSmall in stature, almost like a doll, with her golden hair like threads of silk.oNQRw
avoby8If you didn’t provoke her, she was a young lady as beautiful as a porcelain doll.nJoKA
n7X0But everyone knew that inside her lived a beast.Y8wlF
0zWC3QnDiella walked proudly among the furtive glances of the other nobles, as always. Her attitude had not changed.EKnhs
NpiIf you left her alone, she was an adorable little lady; if you provoked her, she would bite without distinguishing between friend and foe.ManvMZN
2iddt22However, no one dared say a single unpleasant word to her.xKawg
gRkGL‘Lately everyone looks at me with faces that put me in a bad mood. Tsk.’HLB
Jr68QBPDiella walked with irritated steps.cGZSar
6duUJIt had been some time since the ducal house Duplain had begun to decline. Its prestige was no longer that of its golden era.uNWV
6cyNTOqAnd even so—5aIU
3MFs8dDiella was getting closer and closer to becoming a central figure of the Rose Hall.OOfqol
eCmHPEven she herself was unaware of that change.1bmJDc
JBlThe reason?qetpM
z39ukfOne only had to think about Dereck’s disciples, who were forming the axis of the social circle of Ebelstein.k6z9
zMsDiella Katherine Duplain.ZuBk8
rUSNRLShe was the first to receive direct instruction from Dereck.2sUDN
MFsRIf the hierarchy was established by that order—rt32yS2
kTV9She was number one among his disciples.msTW
Pel9AxETogether with Aiselin, the most competent right hand of Baron Ravenclaw, Diella stood at the top of the group.cut
u2RSThe two Duplain sisters were the right and left arms of the man who was becoming the nucleus of Ebelstein’s social power.MQwSzM
HxaJ“You’re in the way.”75lpaN
lv1SbFWith an irritated tone, Diella spoke, and a young noble near her jumped startled and immediately moved aside.GuWWEBK
qC70Diella sat down, rested her chin on her hand, and looked on indifferently.iiPLgaD
52gThe other nobles observed her gestures as if they were vassals looking at their king.hEeFey
qbKBqmWIt seemed as if a huge crown rested atop that small head.fYTUCn
gvVQzEven when the Duplain house had been trembling, Diella was a beast that devoured everything around her with mere presence.TCD
wn6pcjWhat would happen if she were granted real authority and power?DlHW
9ueThe answer was obvious.2bUbX
yGNMVA tyrant would rule.u3VijK7
osc9And within Ebelstein, there were only two people capable of controlling her.jpvv
og0SPThe revival of the Duplain family had already begun.7mtXPUK
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